Micheal: 7th Face of the Godhead
The Sun has finished its transit through the 7th Face of the Godhead in Human Design, Micheal. This face of the Godhead includes gates 25, 17, 21, and 51. These gates belong to one of the most complex codons in the body, the Codon Ring of Humanity, which includes 6 gates that fall on different parts of the wheel. Gates 10 and 38 also belong to this codon, but fall in the 4th Quarter of Mutation and the 3rd Face of Vishnu.
These 6 gates all code for the amino acid, Arginine in the body. Arginine plays a role in muscle growth and recovery and is vital to your immune system.
Archangel Michael is one of the most revered figures in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions—a powerful warrior, protector, and leader of the heavenly host. He is usually depicted in armor, wielding a sword or spear, symbolizing divine justice and protection. Echoing Revelation, he is often shown defeating a dragon or demon, representing the triumph of good over evil.
It’s from this face of the Godhead that we get the name of the 1st Quarter of Initiation from gates 25 and 51 which form the Channel of Initiation, connecting the G-center and the Heart Center. These two centers are intimately connected, as they evolved out of one another. When we transitioned to 9-centered beings from 7-centered beings, the G-center evolved out of the Heart Chakra. The G-center is often referred to as “the higher heart.” I find it fascinating that they are connected in the Bodygraph through the only individual channel that comes out of the Heart center.
This channel is about having the courage to leap into the unknown and follow your own path. It's a naturally competitive channel that loves to go first and initiate others into doing things they normally wouldn't.
In the shadow it shows up as a constriction of your life force that's rooted in the fear of life being beyond your control. As you take the initiative to look into your own shadows, you discover that you no longer need to be afraid of fear.
The more you accept yourself and others, the more love blooms in your life. You approach difficulties in life with more creativity, instead of giving into harshness and furthering the agitation. You trust in the universe to have your back when you take the courageous leap into following your own path- a path no one has walked before.
When it comes to the 1st Quarter of Initiation, what is being initiated is the Mind- that’s what this quarter is all about. The mind thrives on thinking in binaries and struggles with nuance. It is out of this face of the Godhead that the binary of good and bad is created. Micheal is connected to the Tree of Life and delivering the 10 Commandments to Noah. It is out of these commandments that rules and laws are created, that we can then be judged by.
“We’re not designed to be just good or just bad. All of that is comparison. This (the 7th face of the Godhead) is the source of comparison. When you establish a law you create a line of comparison, those who are on one side and those who are on the other. Here is the beginning of you name it, religious wars, hatred, all kinds of things, comparison, and the need to control… Homogenization demands rules. And the rules establish who is in and who is out, who has and who doesn’t, who is worthy and who is not.” -Ra Uru Hu, Face 7: Micheal
Rules are a mechanism of control. Rules set the parameters for what's considered “normal” or “moral.” When someone steps outside of these lines, consequences (social, legal, or divine) follow. This creates a system where people self-regulate to avoid punishment or exclusion. Rules often privilege certain groups—those who define or enforce them. This creates power structures where some have a great deal of power and authority over others.
Control is the 21st shadow, which is deeply connected to hierarchies. The 21st shadow believes that it has to have power OVER people and will do anything to get to the top of the hierarchy. Control is rooted in fear and a zero sum mentality that someone else’s gain means there is less available for you.
One of the things that I have really had to decondition is trying to be seen by others as “good.” I want to be seen as a good person. But who determines what a “good” person is? What are the rules that were put in place by someone else for me to compare myself to so that I can determine if I am a good person? Does the definition of a good person align with my own values and moral compass? And what if constantly trying to be seen as good is just a form of bypassing the shadow that lives within all of us?
One thing about rules is that they are made to be broken.
“They love to have those wonderful examples of this transformation of darkness into light. But the joke is that it is the very darkness that is a part of them that brought out the inspiration to bring change and mutation and growth to the consciousness. If we were never to break the rules we would have no science, we would have no music, it would be awful.” -Ra Uru Hu, Face 7: Micheal
It’s also through the 7th Face of the Godhead that a great deal of religious fundamentalism is born. This is where we see a strong emphasis on strict moral codes, traditional gender roles, and social behaviors. It also creates an “us” versus “them” mentality, which can lead to intolerance and violence against those who don’t belong in the in group.
We can see this through the 17th Shadow of Opinion, which is really about a narrowing of the mind. Opinion loses sight of the bigger picture and only sees what it’s programmed to see. When this shadow is repressed it turns inwards and creates a self-critical mind that is constantly comparing itself to others.
“We cannot judge the other relative to a rule. It’s not possible any more. We can only see the other and live our own correctness without inner comparison. Not looking within yourself to see whether or not if you’re fitting in, did you do it right, what will be the consequences, your struggle with the other. Transcendence is when you recognize that in uniqueness there is no point in comparison or measurement. There’s no point in measuring, what is to measure if there is only you.”-Ra Uru Hu, Face 7: Micheal
One of the foundational concepts in Human Design is that your mind is not your authority. The mind does a great job of measuring and comparing things, but this is not how you’re designed to make decisions. Your inner authority comes from the wisdom of your body- the vehicle that moves you through life. The mind’s role is to simply be the passenger- to observe life.
“The moment that you are truly within the correctness of your own authority there is no comparison, there is just seeing. Your mind will never be free of what the 7th Face of the godhead does as business, never be free of it. We are only here to make decisions out of our own unique authority. That has nothing to do with mind. It has nothing to do with the Michael game. Nothing.” -Ra Uru Hu, Face 7: Micheal
The Codon Ring of Humanity illuminates the true potential behind these gates:
“As one of the most complex codon groups, each of the six Gene Keys in this group represent an archetypal aspect of the human story, together encapsulating all the mythic elements of what it means to be a human being: Wounded from the outset (25), you must do battle with your shadows (38), to overcome the limitations of your mind (17), surrender your need to control life (21) and find your true self (10) before you can awaken (51). You can see from this very profound grouping how deeply bonded we humans are by the same basic dramas. Many of the Gene Keys in this codon group concern love and the human capacity to trust in the authority of the heart. The very blueprints of our human destiny and the future evolution of humankind lie coiled within this ring, along with the six essential human attributes truly natural and inherent to our species.” -Richard Rudd, Codon Rings
The Gifts of Micheal are Acceptance (25), Far-Sightedness (17), Authority (21) and Initiative (51).
The 25th Gift of Acceptance is about having the courage to look into your own shadow so that you can recognize the aspects of yourself that you have been ignoring, repressed, or felt like you had to change out of shame. You can't accept what you refuse to see.
Through this deep acceptance, we open ourselves up to see a wider view of life. Far-sightedness is about being able to understand the mechanics of life while also seeing the bigger picture. The true purpose of far-sightedness is to serve and uphold integrity (18th Gift) by challenging all misrepresentations of truth in the world and create more open-mindedness.
With an open mind and heart, you can be a true authority in your own life and take the initiative to follow your own path. We are going to need these gifts for the great change that is to come. That is why our individual growth and healing is so important.
How have you witnessed Micheal showing up in your own life or the world around you?
